From the peak of Mount Mitchell to the coastal lowlands, North Carolina comprises a diverse range of landscapes, economies, and communities. In the state’s Research Triangle Park, discoveries are being made that will lead to new, life-saving drugs, while only miles away third-generation family farms adapt to meet the increasing demand for locally-grown food. In any given week, a Tar Heel state resident can enjoy down-home bluegrass music or a breathtaking classical symphony; watch a theater performance by fledgling high-school thespians or a world-premiere by an internationally-renowned choreographer.

Timeless tunes: Banjo player Wade Mainer, one of the featured artists in "Rhythm & Roots" series. Courtesy old Homestead Records.

Throughout the state, arts, educational, and community groups generate an astounding array of activities. In 2008, the trustees of The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation were pleased to provide $559,935 in financial support for 172 initiatives undertaken by fifty-five grantees. Whether it is a small community-based organization that relies on dedicated volunteers, or a well-established entity such as the American Dance Festival, these grant recipients provide opportunities and services for people from many walks of life.

In the visual arts, the Foundation funded a number of exhibits that celebrate the rich cultural legacies of North Carolina. A grant to the Asheville Art Museum Association helped secure two significant traveling exhibitions organized through the Southern Arts Federation. "Rhythm & Roots, Southern Music Traditions" used photographs, audio clips, and text panels to explore the multilayered influences that shaped the creation and evolution of bluegrass, country, gospel, Cajun, and Appalachian music. Similarly, "Tradition/ Innovation: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft & Traditional Art" spanned more than three decades of artistic output by select master artists working in the South. From Jean Horner’s exquisitely detailed mandolins and fiddles hand carved from locally-grown curly maple wood, to the masculine/feminine dynamic of Elizabeth Brim’s metal works depicting aprons, tutus, and rhododendron branches, the expansive exhibit was a visual feast of inspiration and imagination.

Active imagination: Yardstick, oil and acrylic painting by Pat Passlof, part of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center exhibit of women artists. Courtesy Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center.

Another grantee, the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, mounted a year-long celebration of women artists who were part of the institution’s storied history. The Shape of Imagination: Women of Black Mountain College included three exhibits, live performances, and panel discussions about this pivotal group that found creative expression in arts, crafts, design, and education. In addition to familiar figures such as Elaine de Kooning and Annie Albers, visitors learned about the lesser known but equally influential women such as Ruth Asawa and Alma Stone Williams, who was the college’s first black student in 1944.

It’s impossible to explore the history of the arts in North Carolina without recognizing the lasting impact of the late Ella Fountain Pratt. Her professional career as an arts administrator began at Duke University in 1956, and though she officially retired from the university in 1984, she never stopped promoting the arts and mentoring artists. Through a grant to the Durham Arts Council, the Foundation supported operations for the gallery named in her honor, the 25th anniversary of the Emerging Artists Awards (which she helped create), and a celebration of her life and legacy.

As it has for many years, the Foundation supported the American Dance Festival with grants for a number of initiatives, including the festival’s 75th anniversary season. Since its humble beginnings at Bennington College in Vermont, the festival has become a preeminent event in the world of dance, from celebrating the works and contributions of classic modern dance choreographers to debuting fresh and challenging works by a new generation of dancers.

Parlez vous musique?: Nicolas Duchamp and Morgane Raoux star in Fly Flee Flow. Courtesy Chamber Music Wilmington.

Fostering young talent carries special significance for the Foundation, and in 2008 we funded efforts that deliver both immediate and long-term benefits. For gifted young dancers who dream of sharing a stage with ADF caliber performers, the North Carolina Dance Theater’s pre-professional division offers intensive study in ballet, modern, and jazz techniques. Students must audition for the coveted spots available; once accepted, they train with some of the dance world’s most renowned instructors and have the opportunity to perform with the professional company as well as with their own performing company, the North Carolina Dance Theatre Repertory Ensemble. A Foundation grant helped support students who qualify for merit-based financial scholarships. And a grant to the Carrboro ArtsCenter’s Youth Performing Arts Conservatory helped aspiring actors experience firsthand what it takes to build a career in theater. Designed by drama and acting professionals, in collaboration with faculty members from UNC-Chapel Hill’s drama department, the program teaches students every facet of stage performance, from movement and voice techniques to staging dramatic fight scenes.

Both of these programs require participants to set personal goals, work constructively as part of a group, and practice self-discipline, skills that will serve them well regardless of the career paths they may choose to pursue.

Just as important as nurturing tomorrow’s artists is developing tomorrow’s audiences. Particularly as arts funding in public schools dwindles, the Foundation believes that children need to be exposed to the beauty and power of artistic expression from an early age and throughout their formal education. We were pleased to fund Chamber Music Wilmington’s educational outreach program Fly Flee Flow, a lively, interactive presentation by French company CapMusique. More than 1,000 children saw the show, which introduced students to instruments, musicians, and new forms of music. In addition to musical selections from Bizet, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schumann, and Verdi, the performance encouraged audience participation as a prince embarked on a roundabout journey to find his princess.

A number of other grantees brought the arts to young people in the form of opera workshops, jazz and chamber music concerts, and through co-curricular programming, such as the North Carolina Arts in Action yearlong program for fifth graders at Durham’s Fayetteville Elementary School.

A guiding principle of The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation has been to help agencies that provide assistance to underserved and at-risk populations, including the homeless, victims of domestic violence, and those living in poverty. In 2008, we had no shortage of worthwhile projects to consider. Among those receiving grants were the Bladen County Youth Focus Project, a faith-based initiative that provides services ranging from literacy training and tutoring to health seminars and spiritual enrichment workshops. Similarly a grant to Education Development Growth Employment (EDGE) helped the nonprofit engage at-risk youth through a program of academics, leadership development, and personal responsibility. We also funded Big Brothers Big Sisters, the oldest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States.

For special-needs populations, the Foundation awarded grants to a number of initiatives that promote community and self-sufficiency. The Avery Association for Exceptional Citizens, for example, helps provide job and life skills training through gardening, housekeeping, and cooking classes for its developmentally disabled clients. In Chapel Hill, Extraordinary Ventures offers job training and placement for developmentally disabled teenagers and adults, and provides a social setting that encourages peer interaction.